1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a combined spacer and retainer for properly spacing and retaining two circuit boards in a subassembly without the need for using screws or other time-consuming fastening methods.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Typical electronic assemblies requiring multiple circuit boards often secure the circuit boards together by using screws or bolts. This increases the time necessary to complete the final assembly and requires multiple parts, including fasteners and separate spacers. Product cost increases with the number of parts, and the chance of losing or misplacing necessary parts creates additional production problems and expense. Assembly line inefficiencies can occur if the circuit boards are not quickly and properly positioned relative to each other. Though interlocking elements for securing multiple circuit boards together do exist in the art, they are generally not compact and often not reliable. In vehicle instrument cluster assemblies, for example, there is very little room within instrument panels for the requisite electrical components that are mounted on the printed circuit boards. The circuit boards must be correctly separated and spaced to prevent the electrical components, such as connector modules, light emitting diodes and display devices, from interfering with each other. However, the circuit boards must electrically link together in a subassembly that can fit into a constrained area.